Floral rack



C. O. GIPSON Jan. 11, 1949.

FLORAL RACK Filed Se pt; 25, 1946 Patented Jan. 11, 1949 Charles 0. Gipson, Elwood, Ind., assignor to Heinz U k I s Manufacturing Company, Inc., Elwood, Ind., a

corporation of Indiana Application September 25, 1946,, Serial No. 599,229, g

The present invention relates to a rack for sup portin articles on the 'front face thereof .such as floral pieces. The invention pertains to such a rack structure having means for moving the supporting prongs to extended article-supporting positions upon erection of the rack and for moving the prongs to collapsed positions when the,

rack is dismantled,

An object of the invention is to provide a mechanism embodied in a floralrack having a plurality of hinged prongs adapted to be automatically moved topositions extending outwardly from the tion of the rack in a substantially vertical position including the feature of returning the prongs to retracted positions when the rack is lifted and,

no longer supported on-the lower ends of the bars, a

.A more specific object of the invention pertains to a floral rack having aplurality of bars on which prongs are mounted for pivotal movee ment including rods of material weight coupling, the rearward ends of the prongs so as to control the hinged movement of the prongs by the action of gravity acting on the rod (1 i j Other objects and features of the invention'will be more apparent as the present disclosure proceeds and upon consideration of the accompanying drawing and the following detailed description wherein an. embodiment of the invention is disclosed v.

In the drawing: n w I Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a rack structure embodying the invention; 1

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of one of the bars of the rack showing a prong thereon in the extended position; and

Fig. 3 is a similar sectional view illustrating the manner in which the prong is moved to a retracted position.

The invention is directed to a floral rack formed of a plurality of the bars I arranged in substantially parallel relationship and when the rack is erected for use, the bars l0 assume a substantially vertical position somewhat as illustrated in Fig. 1. The rack may include any number of bars [0 in accordance with the desired over-all dimensions desired for the rack. The rack may also be of the type which is adapted to be folded so that the bars l0 lie adjacent each 4 Claims. (Cl. 248- 218) other and thereby provide a compact assembly facilitating storage and transportationof the device. The collapsing of the rackris made possible by a, conventional type ,lazy tongs mechanism whereby the barsio are maintainedin parallel relationship in 'the'folded and in the extended positions, A portion of the lazytongshm'echanism is illustrated in the drawing and includes straps l I and I2 which are connected to the bars Iii at their lower; ends by means of pivot pins l4, rivets, or the like. The straps II and I2 are thus free to swing around the pivots i4 and the upper ends of the lazy tong straps are adapted to move lengthwise of; the bars ill during collapsing of the rack and during movement of the bars I!) away from each other. vTlheupper ends of the straps l i and i2 maytherefore be hinged to slide members Hi which are free to movelengthwise of the bars l6. fI'he rack may be erected inan easellike mannerby means of a rear support (not shown) so that the bars Iflthen assume a position somewhat'as illustrated in Fig. 1 withthe lower ends 3! engaging the floor. The bars ID are then arranged in a substantially vertical position' and are maintained in substantially parallel relationship'by means of, the, straps II and I2.

The bars I0 may be of any suitable cross sectional shape and in the embodiment illustrated in the drawing, each bar is provided with a groove ll in the forward face thereof extending lengthwise of the bar; Sucha bar construction facilitates the mounting of the prongs on which articles such as floral pieces-are to be supported. The prongs are shown at l8 in the drawing and are mounted for pivotal movement on the bars by mechanism does not overlie the prongs in the collapsed or folded position of the rack.

One of the characteristic features of the invention pertains to means for manipulating the prongs 18 so as'to be moved automatically to the extended position shown in Fig. 2 and automatically to the collapsed position shown in Fig. 3. A rack exhibiting such means includes a rod 23 associated with each bar 10. One rod 23 is arranged rearwardly of each bar Ii]. Each rod 23 is pivotally connected to arms 26 which extend rearwardly from the prongs l8, The arms 26 may be welded to the rear end of the prongs l8 or formed integral therewith. In the embodiment illustrated, each arm 26 extends through a slot 28 in the associated bar l0 immediately rearwardly of the pivot 2|. The slots 28 are of sufficient length to permit swinging of the prongs 3 through at least a ninety degree angle such as from the position illustrated in Fig. 3 to the position illustrated in Fig. 2. The arms 26 may be hingedly connected to the rods 23 by means of rivets, pins, or the like as indicated at 24.

When the rack is erected for use, the lower ends 3| of the bars l0 rest upon the floor as shown in Fig. 2 and during the erection of the rack, the rods 23 also engage the floor at their lower ends whereby the rods .23. move upwardly as indicated by the arrow in Fig; 2f. Such up;- ward movement of the rods '23 swing the prongs I 8 in a clockwise direction about the pivots 2i whereby the prongs 18 extend: outwardly from: the forward face of the bars l0 into article-sup.- porting positions as illustrated in Fig. I. The rods 23 may be made to have sufiicient mass to maintain the prongs in the positions shown in Fig: I-"whenarticles" such as floral pieces" are supported onthe-- prongs: In otherwords, the rods are heavy enough to prevent lift thereof by the-lever action of'thearms 2'6 when floral pieces are supported on the prongs HP. The slots 28' also terminate atftli'eiruppercnds toform abutment'slimiting clockwise turning of the prongs l8 andaccordiiigly liftin ot the rods 23. The prongs Ware accordingly moved by'the: rods 23 to positions for supporting floral" pieces or the like: andsuch articles are prevented from swinging' rearwardlyhelbw the prongs by the bars l0 and By the straps H- and ll of the lazy tongs mechanism.

When it is desired to-dismantle the rack structure; the rack may'belifted as illustrated in Fig.

3 by grasping someof-the bars 18-; The rods -23 are their free te-1nove=downwardly in the direcnew of the:"arrow'33 (Fig. 3) whereby the rear ends" of the arms move downwardlyand" the prongs H3 swing topositions within the grooveslasshown in Fig. 3. The: prongs l 8 are thereby moved" to" retracted positions automatically upon lifting ofth'e-"ra'ch; mile prongs f8 are maintained in thisposition: so long as; the bars It are: arrangediin: positions whene the rods 23- are not urged. upwardly by the action of gravity.

detail's of the members and the general organi-- zat'ibn of the assembly.- Such modificationsmay be made-without departing from the spirit and scope' ofthe invention which pertains to weighted membersfor= moving the prongs l 8"-tozextend'- ed and collapsed position, as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

l. In a rack structure, a bar adapted to be erected in a substantially vertical position and rest at its lower end on a supporting surface, a prong, pivotally mounted on said. bar, and a rod connected to said prong rearwardly of the bar and of such a length as to engage said supporting surface at its lower end and swing the prong to an extended position.

22.111 2. floral rack, at least one bar having a ofthe bane, plurality of prongs hinged to-said barfor'swingingmovement into'said groove; said bar" having a slot therein rearwardly of each prong, an arm carried by each prong extending through the associated slot, a rod pivotally connected to said arms and of such a length that the-- lower. end engages a supportingsurface for the lower cnd=ofthe bar when thera'ck is-erected for use so as tic-swing the prongs outwardly to article-supporting positions; and" one of said slots='t'erminatin'g at its upper edge to providean abutment: limitingtheswihgi'ng' movement of theassociat'ed' arm.

4?. In afloral rack, at least one bar having a groove 'in'tli'eforward face extending lengthwise of thebar; a plurality of prongs hinged to said bar forswinging movement into said" groove, said her having a slot therein rearwardly of each prong, an arm carried by each prong extending through the associated slot, a rod pivotally connecteditmsaid arms and ofsuc'h a length that the lower end engages a supporting surface for the bar when the rack is erected for use to swing the prongs outwardly from said groove whereby therod moves downwardly when the bar is lifted to swing the prongs" to 'ret-racted positions withinsaid" groove.

(EHARLES-3O. GIPSON.

I BEBEBJENGES GLTEBi The following references are of record in the f le of this patent:

UNITED. s rnirns PATENT-s Number 

